Another Stranger
by Pear-Shaped
Summary: Neru is spying on Miku and Kaito. And wherever Neru is, Mikuo is too. NeruMikuo, short, more contemplation than anything.


**Disclaimer: I don't own Vocaloid. **

**Thanks for reading. Sorry if it's boring, ****plot lines aren't my strong point. **

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"She looks happy."

Mikuo stares down at her, mildly surprised at her speaking up so suddenly. Neru usually keeps her opinions to herself – however she certainly doesn't hesitate to let loose when irritated, this he knows from experience – and he's somewhat honoured that she's choosing to share her thoughts with him.

But then he remembers that they're supposed to hate her – even though he doesn't – and kicks himself up the rear for thinking that she could be a [somewhat] nice person. To her after all, 'Green is the Enemy'.

"Why are we spying on my sister again?"

Their relationship is a strange one, he ponders as they crouch behind the bushes. She's always mean and easily irritated and overall a bit of a pessimist. He's warm and friendly and is always being a playful tease. His happy go lucky manner [read naiveté] grates on her nerves sometimes. Her tsundere attitude dampens his mood at other times. But for some reason, she always finds herself pulling him along with all her schemes and he always invites her along to his outings with Len and Kaito (_she's a surprisingly good gamer) _.

Neru sighs and turns to look at him. "Because Miku is my friend and Kaito is your friend; plus I feel like gathering a little blackmail material."

He's surprised that he's _unsurprised_ at her answer, and he's even more surprised that she's called Miku her friend. Miku and Neru have never been very close, perhaps because Miku is a bubbly, charming girl [read innocence] and Neru is a distant, cynical person [read antisocial]. But in the end, Neru was made to protect Miku and Miku is Neru's predecessor so perhaps they fit together quite well anyway.

"They're just eating ice cream," Mikuo points out, itching to get away from the bush and make a break for home. He's normally more patient but there's only so much he could take before he needed the company of a good RPG. And watching his sister make googly eyes with his best friend isn't exactly his idea of fun.

She's recording them on her phone now, smirking at the gold she's hit. "You're not very observant are you?"

"Of course I am!"

She gives him a look that plainly means that she doesn't believe him. Covering up her shirt she asks, "How many buttons on my top?"

He can't answer and she turns away in satisfaction. She's always been fond of trivia and tests. Rin had called her masochistic. He had grudgingly agreed. But nonetheless, she continues to focus in on minor details, while Miku and Rin prefer to look at the bigger picture. He doesn't know which point of view he prefers.

When he puts it in another way, where life is one giant artwork, he agrees that the bigger picture is more important. But then he remembers that the smaller details make up the bigger one, and he ends up right back where he started.

"Miku is lucky," he catches faintly. He's sure that she hasn't meant for him to hear her. "She's got the most popular voice, the prettiest design, the love and affection."

Frowning slightly, he looks up at his sister. Maybe she has all those things, but it's not like she's the perfect. In the end, she's still someone with issues and bad moments and human flaws.

He tells her this and after she recovers from the shock that he'd heard her, states firmly, "And even then, she's not human. None of us are human. So then would having these desires make us worse?"

He doesn't hesitate when he answers, "By having issues and human error, we become more humble. By having these kinds of emotions, we are able to act as we were programmed. I would far prefer to have these kinds of problems and feel real than not have any problems and feel like a fake."

Maybe she's considering his answer, maybe she didn't hear him, or maybe she just doesn't care. Whichever it is, she doesn't answer and they slip into silence once more.

If he could, he would argue that she's just as good as Miku. Neru is pessimistic at times, yes, and she's a bit of a tyrannical sadist when she wants to be but she's still got a voice and a story to tell. She can still feel happiness, remorse, and grief, and she knows life isn't easy. She's popular too and the other Vocaloids still love her just as much as Miku, even if she doesn't catch on [she's not as observant as she likes to think]. He certainly loves her.

But she's still a suspicious person and he's still a complete coward so she'll keep turning down any affection he shows and he'll keep denying any feelings he has towards her. She's mean, vain, cynical and hot-tempered [critical, confident, realistic and defensive]. She's annoying at times and blunt towards even her best friend Haku. [persistent and honest]. In all honesty, he knows that any moment spent with her is more precious than most realise.

And so when Miku finally breaks out of her love induced reverie and spots them, he savours the feeling of her hand intertwined with his as they make their hasty escape.


End file.
